Friday, July 27, 2007

UCLA in an Unbearable Position With Scott?

UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero is saying there was a misstep in a background check of receivers coach Eric Scott, who was put on paid administrative leave after his arrest on suspicion of felony residential burglary earlier this week.

Guerrero said neither he or coach Karl Dorrell were aware of Scott's criminal background, which included up to four reported arrests, including two misdemeanor convictions resulting in 36 months probation, before he was hired in March.

"It is standard operating procedure for all full-time UCLA employees in the athletic department to have a background check, and we did not know the background for that particular person," Guerrero told the L.A. Daily News.

The L.A. Times reports that the burglary investigation involving Scott has been expanded, with an L.A. County Sheriff's Department official saying a discarded gun was found at the home and "a large quantity of narcotics" was found in the area.

Dorrell acknowledged that he hired Scott knowing some of his past, but when asked whether the university encountered any red flags during the hiring process, he added, "I can't speculate on that."

The Times reported that a university source acknowledged "because Eric Scott had played at UCLA, there was some loyalty."

Attorney Milton Grimes, who represents Scott, maintained that his client was innocent and said the arrest was part of a misunderstanding. He described Scott, who played football for UCLA from 1995 to '97, as "depressed and anxious."

"It'd be a shame if he loses his job at UCLA over some doo-doo like this," Grimes said.